In addition to taking on Honduras on its home field Tuesday, the U.S. Men's National Team faces another obstacle in its quest to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, coach Bruce Arena says: America's immigration debate.

"Our immigration policies are impacting people in Central America, right?" Arena said Monday at a reporters' roundtable (via ESPNFC.com) said. "And there's probably a little bit of anger over that. Then your national sport gets a chance to play the U.S.; I'm sure that becomes very meaningful."

Arena also was asked if, in fact, a U.S. run to the World Cup — including Tuesday's key qualifier against Honduras in San Pedro Sula — actually could serve as a way to unify the United States during a particularly polarized time in its politics.

"So you want us to win a World Cup, bring the country together, walk on water?" he asked jokingly. "What else do you want us to do?"

He added: "We'll get to that at the right time. Let's see if we can win a couple of games now to close out this year and maybe go to a World Cup — and then solve all of the world's problems at that point."

The U.S. manager then got a bit more serious, using Texans star J.J. Watt's efforts to raise almost $20 million and distribute supplies to flood-ravaged Houston as an example of what can happen when athletes don't stick to sports.